Monday, January 22, 2018

Congressional Gold Medal presentation to Filipino World War II Veterans planned for Houston

Houston, Texas Plans are underway for a Houston ceremony honoring Filipino World
War II veterans, whose service and sacrifice have been finally recognized by the U.S.
with the passage of the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act
of 2015, which is now Public Law114-265. January 27, Saturday, at the Lone Star
Flight Museum, there will be an official Houston presentation to families and veterans
qualifying for the medal who could not attend the Washington DC ceremony. “We are
holding this ceremony in our town and we want the veterans and families to feel
special,” said Region 7 Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project
(FilVetREP) Director Christy Poisot.
Filipino Veterans of World War II received a Congressional Gold Medal October
25, 2017 during a ceremony in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol. It was awarded
collectively to those who served honorably in an active duty status between July 26,
1941, and December 31, 1946 under the command of the United States Army Forces in
the Far East (USAFFE) within the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Philippine
Scouts, the Philippine Constabulary, recognized guerrilla units, the New Philippine
Scouts, the First Filipino Infantry Regiment, the Second Filipino Infantry Battalion
(Separate), or the First Reconnaissance Battalion, including those commanding or
serving as U.S. military officers or enlisted soldiers.
The Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) is one of the highest civilian awards
bestowed by the United States for persons or groups who have performed an
achievement that have an impact on American history and culture. In particular, this
award is a public expression of the U.S. Congress’ gratitude on behalf of the nation for
the distinguished contributions of 260,000 Filipino soldiers and guerrillas during World
War II in the Philippines.
Surviving Filipino and American veterans or their next-of-kin will receive bronze
replicas of the CGM and a copy of Public Law 114-265. Expected to attend are
Congressional sponsors, City of Houston officials, high ranking general officers from the
US Army and US Air Force, veteran advocates, community leaders and supporters.
“We secured the Congressional Gold Medal to honor our veterans and
demonstrate our deepest gratitude for their supreme sacrifice,” said FilVetREP
Chairman Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret). “It’s for our veterans and they deserve to
have a memorable event.”
Medal recipients in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Oklahoma who are
unable to attend the Houston ceremony should look out for other ceremonies on the
FilVetREP website.
National Registry. Bronze replicas will be awarded only to surviving veterans or their
next-of-kin whose eligibility for CGM has been vetted and whose names are included in
FilVetREP’s national veterans’ registry.
“It is essential that veterans and their families register as soon as possible to
make sure they are included in the award ceremony,” Taguba adds.
Applications and instructions for submission may be downloaded from
FilVetREP’s website, www.filvetrep.org. Each of the FILVETREP regional directors are
responsible for contacting the veterans and families to help them register. Bronze
replicas are not funded by the U.S. government, but rather by donations from the
public. Donations to support FilVetREP’s CGM activities are accepted through the
FilVetREP website.
CGM Design and Approval Process. FilVetREP met with the U.S. Mint’s Office of
Design Management in providing significant input and recommendations to the Citizens
Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA).
The U.S. Mint is the nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage,
commemorative coins and congressional gold medals, and is responsible for producing
circulating coinage for the nation to conduct its trade and commerce.
CCAC is an advisory committee established in 2003 by Congress under Public
Law 108-15 to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on the themes and designs of
all U.S. coins and medals; CFA is an independent federal agency charged with giving
expert advice on matters of design and aesthetics, as they affect the federal interest
and preserve the dignity of the nation’s capital.
The minting process, which typically takes about three months, basically involves
translating a 14-page legislation (i.e., Public Law 114-265) into a graphic design
engraved on a 3-inchmedal minted in solid gold. The CGM legislation provides that the
Smithsonian Institution will be the repository for the CGM where it will be available for
display and research. The CGM legislation also requires the Smithsonian Institution to
make the CGM available for display elsewhere. Currently, the plan is for the CGM to be
permanently housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History or
another national museum of similar repute. (From Ed Gar)